Ben has been studying moral relativism in his philosophy class and he finds the concept intriguing. Over a meal of tacos and burritos (truly dreadful by Southern California standards), Ben shared what a moral relativist’s views would be regarding honor killings, genocide, the infamous Kitty Genovese murder in the New York City in 1950s and other horrors.

And then as we were walking back to the campus, my 18-year-old observed that while philosophers have attempted to prove God exists, few have tried to prove the opposite.

Wow.

When Ben was finishing up his senior year in high school at this time last year, his contributions to the nightly conversation at the dinner table too often revolved around his latest World of Warcraft conquests.

A Transformation

Obviously, Ben’s worldview had dramatically broadened in college. His professors have challenged him, he’s made friends from across the country and he’s also developed an appreciation for people who aren’t as fortunate by working two afternoons a week with the housekeeping staff. He told me, for instance, that he feels bad that some cleaning staff have to work with vacuums with no wheels, which is not something he ever would have worried about in the past.

My husband and I are happy to see that Ben has had such a formative first year in college. I’d argue that Ben’s experience has been more transformative because he attends a liberal arts college.

What’s a Liberal Arts College?

If you don’t know what a liberal arts college is, you are not alone. Only about 2% of college students attend liberal arts colleges. I consider this a shame since I think liberal arts colleges represent the best educational experience for many undergraduates.